Playtime

Rabbits are by nature curious, fun-loving creatures and need mental stimulation as well
as physical exercise. A rabbit with no outlet for these natural tendencies can become
bored, lonely, overweight, destructive, or depressed. Toys should be provided in your
rabbit's cage and in his exercise area.

The good news is that some of your rabbit's favorite toys are common household items. Stuff
an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll with hay and your bunny has a safe chew toy and will
consume the hay as well. A cardboard box with an entrance and exit cut into it will provide
your rabbit with a playhouse he can hide in, run through, and jump on. Some rabbits will
devote a lot of time to shredding newspaper or an old copy of the yellow pages. Other toys
from around the house are paper grocery sacks, round oatmeal boxes, canning jar rings,
non-plastic coated paper cups, a can with a pebble inside, a straw whisk broom, clean hard
plastic bottle tops, or a towel (if your rabbit does not eat the towel).

Most rabbits enjoy digging and chewing. Give your rabbits toys that he can dig in or
chew and he will be less likely to amuse himself by digging or chewing in places that
you'd rather he didn't. Fill a box with shredded paper for digging. Good chew toys
include sea-grass or maize mats, untreated wood (no redwood or cedar), rabbit safe
branches or twigs, cardboard, untreated willow or wicker baskets, and dried pinecones.
Rabbits are usually pretty disinterested in the chew sticks found in pet stores.

More toy ideas

Your rabbit's exercise time will be enhanced if you provide him with some fun things to run
through, hide in, and jump on. Besides the cardboard box mentioned above, here are some ideas
for play structures that you can make or buy: a wooden box, a Cottontail Cottage, a Little Tykes
playground, or a cat tree. Cardboard concrete forms are tubes found in home improvement stores.
They are great for tunnels and can be cut to size with a saw. If your rabbit is a burrower,
you can stuff one end of his tunnel with newspaper. You can build a play condo out of boxes
with cardboard or wood ramps. If your rabbit spends a lot of time in his cage, consider giving
him a cage with multiple levels and ramps. Hang a towel or sheet on a kitchen chair and you
have an instant bunny cave.

Rabbits enjoy safe, lightweight toys that can be picked up and tossed. Small inexpensive child
or animal toys that appeal to a playful bunny include Batta Balls (a ball with a bell inside),
hard plastic baby teething keys, baby rattles, and hanging bird or baby toys. Your rabbit might
like a large hard rubber ball, but balloons are dangerous and must be avoided.

Variety is the spice of life

Change the toys in your rabbit's cage from time to time as he loses interest in them and
reintroduce them at a later time. Keep your rabbit safe by giving toys that don't have small
pieces that he can ingest. And by all means, get on the ground and play with your rabbit! Let
him climb on you or gently toss toys to him so he can toss them back. As you get to know your
rabbit better, you'll discover which toys or games he prefers.